Why Are You A Christian?

Chapter 4

The Kingdom

It has already been noted in 1 Timothy 4:10 that God provided salvation for ALL men. Similarly, 1 Timothy 2:3,4 states that God "will have ALL men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge [Greek, accurate knowledge] of the truth." This is a salvation that comes before knowledge. Jesus' ransom for ALL (verse 6) guarantees that ALL who died in Adam will be saved from Adamic death. That is ALL, not called to be of the church, will be awakened from the sleep of death and given an accurate knowledge of the truth. This is the "evil" class of John 5:28,29, which comes forth from the grave to a "resurrection of krisis" or trial.

In the Kingdom, Jesus and his church will embark upon the greatest educational program in history. Isaiah 11:9 states, ". . .for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Also Jeremiah 31:34 says, ". . .for they shall ALL know me from the least of them unto the greatest." Verses 29 and 30 show that for the majority, the Kingdom will provide the first full, fair opportunity for salvation. "In those days they shall say no more, the fathers have eaten a sour grape and the children's teeth are set on edge. But everyone shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge."

Why the Church is Called First

Why is the true church first selected to share with Christ in the Kingdom work of blessing mankind? One reason can be illustrated by the noble work of Alcoholics Anonymous. An essential step of A.A. therapy is to assign a former alcoholic to each alcoholic that comes for help. The victim being driven by alcohol will not readily accept help or advice from just anyone. How could anyone know his agony, his depression, his desperation if he has not shared the same experience? But the alcoholic will accept help from a former alcoholic because he knows that this person can understand his agony. And this former alcoholic stands ready at any time to come to his side to plead with him, encourage him and make good suggestions for overcoming. It requires a former alcoholic to rehabilitate an alcoholic.

When people come forth from the grave in Christ's Kingdom, they will be informed that they have been purchased with the precious blood of Christ and they will be made aware of the fact that they are now under the reign of Jesus Christ and his church (1 Corinthians 6:2). What confidence they will have that the church will know just how to enter into their problems! Why? Because the members of the church also were once sinners. Further, humanity will realize that the church representatively experienced all the problems, hardships, and emotional and mental tragedies endured by humanity. Because "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son" for them (John 3:16), the church will cherish each individual of the human race. The personal experiences of true Christians in overcoming sin and struggling with their own emotional and psychological problems (2 Corinthians 10:4,5; Hebrews 12:3,4) will give them an "understanding heart" so that they will know when to show compassion on ignorance and when to administer discipline where willfulness is involved (Hebrews 5:2; Luke 12:48). This plan of rehabilitation will work. The majority of humanity will gladly receive the instruction, the disciplining and the nurturing necessary to pass their trial for eternal life.

This plan is the great "restitution" (restoration) project foretold by all the Old Testament prophets (Acts 3:20,21). Does the prospect of participating in this Kingdom work of blessing mankind inspire you to be a faithful Christian?

A Long Process

The restoration of the willing of the remainder of men (Acts 15:17; Revelation 22:17) to mental, moral and physical perfection of human life that was lost in Eden will not be complete until the end of the 1,000-year Kingdom of Christ.

Revelation 20:5 states, "The rest of the dead lived not again until the 1,000 years were finished." Some ancient manuscripts do not contain these words. If these words are authentic, they cannot refer to the awakening of the dead because Revelation 11:15-18 reveals that the sounding of the seventh trumpet, which denotes the time during Christ's Second Advent, is also the time that the dead should be judged. Daniel 12:2 as John 5:28,29 speaks of two classes, good and evil, that are raised from the dead. Verse 1 of Daniel 12 establishes the time of the rising of these two classes from the dead as in close proximity to the great tribulation. This tribulation is at the beginning of the 1,000 years and not when the 1,000 years are over. Daniel 12:2 speaks of the evil class experiencing "age-lasting" (Hebrew) shame.

If the phrase in Revelation 20:5, "The rest of the dead [the remainder of men of Acts 15:17] lived not again until the 1,000 years were finished," is authentic-the explanation is evident. All not mentally, morally and physically perfect are dead in God's sight. Thus Jesus said, ". . .let the dead bury their dead" (Matthew 8:22). The balance of the 1,000 years will be required to bring all the willing up the "highway" of holiness (Isaiah 35:8) to perfect human life. In this sense, mankind will not be truly alive until the end of the thousand years.

The Blessings of the Kingdom

Isaiah 35 portrays some of the wondrous Kingdom blessings. ". . .the desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose" (verse 1). The blind shall see, the deaf shall hear, the lame shall walk, the dumb sing (verses 5 and 6). Verses 8 and 9, speaking of the Highway of Holiness, state that it will be for the "unclean," but the unclean shall not pass over it. This interesting phrase can be compared to an automatic car wash. It is for dirty cars, but dirty cars don't pass over it, because they are clean by the time they reach the end of the car wash. Similarly, the Highway of Holiness is for the morally unclean. But through the instruction and nurture of Christ and his church, they will step by step be made morally clean. Verse 9 shows no lion shall be there. Peter identified Satan as symbolized by the "lion" (1 Peter 5:8) and Revelation 20:1-3 reveals Satan will be bound (unable to tempt or hinder mankind) during the 1,000-year Kingdom. "But the redeemed shall walk there." Verse 10 concludes, "And the ransomed [Jesus died a ransom for ALL. 1 Timothy 2:6] of the Lord shall return and come to Zion [the Kingdom] with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." The climax of the Kingdom work is described in Revelation 21:4, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

Jesus and his church will be the vessels God will use in the Kingdom to pour these glorious blessings on the remainder of men. And if you fulfill the terms of discipleship, you will be one of these instruments of blessing!

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Who is a Christian?

Is God Trying to Convert the World Now?

The Christian's Calling

The Kingdom

You See Your Calling Brethren

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